How Long Are You Going To Tolerate This?

By Kirsten Long

I’d had enough.

This was two years ago. I could no longer put up with a messy bathroom. So I got stuck in on Saturday emptied the cupboards, threw away old medicine and cosmetics, sorted and cleaned.

Then I visited my favourite shop and bought a whole lot of pretty coloured plastic baskets in varying sizes.

The next morning I completed the task and the whole bathroom was more functional, and certainly more tidy.

Now we could actually find the things we were looking for!

As the weeks went by, I realized there was still one thing that was not working in my bathroom.

I has a basket for my face cleaner, creams and serums. Because some of the bottles were tall and thin, every time I took the basket out of the cupboard (which was twice a day), the bottles would topple over. I’d patiently put them upright, and then get on with the business of looking after my face. (as one does!)

Twice a day, for about a year, I would feel irritated every time I did my face (not such a good thing!). How many times I had thought, “This is so irritating“, I have no idea.

Into the second year I started thinking “This is so irritating. I must sort it out“.

I hate to admit this, but it carried on far at least another year!
What I was doing, was tolerating a little thing that could easily be fixed. I was also wasting time and energy thinking about it on a very regular basis. On top of this I was experiencing negative energy because of it.

Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?

Yet, it is so easy to do.

When I start coaching a new client one of the tasks that I set for them is “List 5 things that you are tolerating“. Believe me, I am not the only one out there who is tolerating something that could easily be fixed.

Of course – there is a wide variety of things we do tolerate – from bad relationships, health problems, physical environment, being stuck and more. The more we are putting up with – the more it affects our emotional health.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to start shifting this is to fix the easy things that we are tolerating. Quite simple really – you just have to be aware and make a decision to change things.

Last Wednesday my irritation rallied as I, once again, took my basket out of the cupboard and all the bottles crashed as I lifted it to the bathroom counter. I walked straight out the room, went a fetched a pretty box that was lying around doing nothing. It fitted beautifully into my basket. Problem sorted. So easy.

What has surprised me is how much relief I now feel every time I do my face.

I’m trying very hard not to get irritated with myself for taking so long to sort it out!

Here’s a mid-year challenge for you:

• List 10 things that you are tolerating
• Choose 3 that are easy to fix.
• Get those 3 things sorted this week.
• Notice what shifts once you have sorted these things out.

I’m going to do the same.

Let me know how it goes.

You get what you tolerate.
John G Agno

Let Kirsten Long coach you.